Perfect Storm
by Belial the Liar
Summary: What if Issei and Akeno became friends as children? Issei x Akeno fluff, single pairing romance. AU, Slight OOC Issei. Anyway, read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I'd imagine a lot of you have a lot of questions. First off; yes, I deleted His Maiden. I didn't like the way it turned out. It was too far from Issei x Akeno, and too far into a superhero AU. This story has next to nothing to do with His Maiden, other than the same base concept of Issei x Akeno.**

 **So, what is Perfect Storm? It's Issei x Akeno fluff, but _much_ closer to canon. It's still not canon, but it's way closer. But, long story short, I couldn't come up with a good "His _" Title for this, so I came up with an actual title. In the theme of that, I will probably be changing the titles of the rest of my stories too. Maybe. **

**There's a lot in this story that has yet to be explained, but that's a given, being that it's one 2.5k word (give or take a few) chapter. The only reason it's so short is because I wanted to have it out today, but ran out of time. Expect another chapter pretty soon.**

 **That's all I have to say here, there will be more at the bottom. Read and Review!**

* * *

"Issei, come out. Don't be so shy." Issei's mother said, trying to usher him out from behind her legs.

The boy stood behind his mother, hiding from the gaze of the girl across from him. She offered a wave, trying to ease his worry. He returned his own half-hearted wave, but didn't move from his place.

"Ha! He's just like you, Gorou." A man with short dark hair and tanned skin said, laughing.

There were six people inside the room, with two men sitting on couches, and four women and children standing up nearby. The four people standing were Issei and his mother, as well as the girl and her mother. The two people sitting were Gorou, Issei's father, and the girl's father, across from him.

"That's probably not good." Gorou said, smiling.

"Issei, go say hi. You're being rude." Issei's mother said, pushing him towards the girl. His mom and the girl's mom took seats on the couch, leaving the two children standing awkwardly.

"But Mom~..." Issei whined, not wanting to have to talk with the girl. He was very shy; not much could motivate him to introduce himself.

"How about you take Akeno outside and play something with her? We'll be right here." Issei's mom said, smiling reassuringly.

"Fine…" Issei said. He turned to go, gesturing for the girl, Akeno, to follow him. She went with him, of course. She wasn't nearly as shy as Issei, and she just waiting for him to feel comfortable, more than anything.

"So, what do you want to play?" Akeno asked, after the two of them went into Issei's backyard.

"I...um…" Issei didn't know what to say. The girl was _very_ cute, and he was already timid. He felt like running away and hiding, but his parents had doomed him to an afternoon of forced playtime.

"How about hide and seek?" Akeno suggested, smiling.

Issei nodded, happy to be out of the spotlight.

"Great! I'll count, you go hide. Ready?" Akeno asked, covering her eyes with her hands. Issei took off, elsewhere in the yard.

"5...4...3…"

* * *

 _ **Several years later**_

* * *

"...2...1! Get up, lazy!" A stunning girl said, exasperated, throwing the blankets off a snoozing boy.

"Whosthere?" Issei Hyoudou said, rapidly sitting up. His eyes were completely unfocused, and he blinked rapidly, trying to see.

"It's me, goofball. You need to get up and get dressed."

"Oh, Akeno. You scared me."

"Good. You didn't even listen when I started counting down, so I had to take drastic measures." Akeno Himejima said, smirking.

"You could just turn the lights on, I'd wake up…" Issei said, wiping his face.

"Oh, really?" Akeno said, pointing up. Issei followed her hand, only to recoil as the light stung his eyes.

"Oh, huh." Isse remarked, laying back down on the bed.

"Issei, you've gotta hurry~!" Akeno said, pushing his shoulder back and forth, trying to instill any kind of urgency in the boy.

"It's just school. I can be late~." Issei said sleepily, yawning.

"I'm gonna have to get you up one way or another, Issei." Akeno said, letting go of his shoulder. She leaned in close, just beside his ear. "We can do it the easy way...or the _hard way~._ " She said sensually, puffing on his ear. Issei just groaned in response; he was already half asleep.

"Aright, guess I'll have to-" "Ugh, you talk too much." Issei said, suddenly interrupting her. He lashed out, grabbing her around the waist, and pulled her into the bed with him.

"Issei!?" Akeno yelped, surprised.

"Shh...don't get your feathers in a twist." Issei said, drifting off to sleep with the aggravated Akeno in his arms. She was the little spoon, in their current position.

"Ugh...how am I supposed to do anything like this?" Akeno said, frustrated. Issei had her tightly wrapped in his arms, both of them around her waist and stomach.

"Just...get some more sleep...you could use it."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I know how late you've been staying up. You need to take better care of yourself. Now, _shhh._ Go to sleep. Stop struggling." Issei said, not giving the wriggling Akeno an inch. But, despite her situation, she was touched that he was worrying about her.

At the same time, she was ticked that he'd picked such an inopportune time to play cuddlebug. She'd normally be more than happy to sit in his arms, but right now? He needed to get up.

"Fine, don't say I didn't warn you." Akeno said, warning him one last time.

No response.

Akeno sighed, then bit his shoulder as hard as she could.

"Ow! What the hell!" Issei yelled, jumping out of bed. Akeno laughed, getting up after him. She ushered him out of the bedroom and into a hallway.

"Now, go get ready! We have ten minutes till school starts!" Akeno said, shooing him towards the bathroom.

"Okay, _mom._ " Issei snarked, walking into the bathroom to start his routine.

 _Mom._

Akeno lost her smile on hearing his words. She knew he didn't really mean anything by it, but at the same time...it brought up bad memories.

* * *

"Akeno, run!" Shuri yelled, holding back two men while Akeno looked up at her, terrified. Issei stood beside the girl, gritting his teeth. "Issei, take her and go! Don't look back! Take care of my baby, Issei!"

Issei yelled, tears streaming from his eyes. He grabbed Akeno's hand, dragging her with him as they ran through the Himejima clan's territory.

"Issei, let go! We have to help her!"

"We can't! Just run!"

" _Issei_!"

* * *

"...hello, earth to Akeno? You in there?" Issei said, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Oh-oh, sorry. What's wrong?"

"I'm ready. Can't you tell?" Issei said, gesturing to himself. He was dressed in the Kuoh Academy uniform, with a red shirt on and the blazer opened.

"Aw, you're already done? I didn't even get to watch you getting dressed!" Akeno said, giggling. She tried to play off the flashback, but he saw through her.

Issei narrowed his eyes, and looked at her closely, tilting his head a bunch of different ways. She looked at him oddly, and he put his right hand to her forehead.

"Hmm...no fever." Issei said, taking his hand away.

"...Issei? What in the world are you doing?" Akeno said, laughing.

"You're acting weird. I thought you might be sick."

"Weird? How?"

"You zoned out hard enough that you missed peeking on me taking a shower. That's not the Akeno I know." Issei said, scrutinizing her.

"You're right. I've been replaced by a pod person." Akeno said, making a funny face.

"Really? Is that why you tried to eat me a minute ago?" Issei replied, poking her in the stomach. Akeno giggled.

"Yup. Caught me." She said, taking his hand. She pulled him out of the hallway and into the kitchen where she had breakfast waiting.

"You already made breakfast?" Issei said, looking over what she'd done.

"Mhmm. It might still be warm, if you'd gotten out of bed faster." She said, getting started on making him a plate.

"Oh man, why didn't you say something? You should've led with that!" Issei said, taking the plate from Akeno's extended hand.

"I didn't want to make it to easy on you."

"You just wanted to bite me"

"Maybe~."

The two of them ate together in comfortable silence, before grabbing their bags and heading out the door.

* * *

"We _so_ had more than ten minutes." Issei said, looking at his watch. They still had fifteen to get to the school, much less ten till it started.

"I thought you might go faster under pressure." Akeno said innocently, shrugging.

"I really should be used to your tricks by now." Issei replied, shaking his head with a smile.

"Probably~! But, you'll never stop falling for them"

"You're probably right."

"I'm always right."

"Up for debate."

There was a pause, the two friends walking close to each other with smiles on their faces.

After a while, Issei groaned. "You know, couldn't you just fly to school? Why are we even walking..."

"That would be bad for a few reasons." Akeno said, shaking her head. "And, hey! You could fly too."

"Yeah, but that would be anything but subtle. Kinda hard to be quiet about it when a Dragon shouts everything you do."

 **[Bite me. You'd yell everything if you were trapped in a glove, too.]** A voice said, coming from Issei's left hand. His hand glowed green when it spoke, and talked with a monstrously deep voice.

"I...don't think I would, no." Issei replied. Akeno laughed.

"Well, anyway, I don't think the Devils would appreciate a Fallen Angel and a Dragon flying into their school like it's no big deal." Akeno said.

"Psh. They'd get over it. I still can't believe the redhead tried to get us in her peerage." Issei said, scoffing.

"It was a fair offer…" Akeno started. "...but I don't think it would've been good for either of us." She said, after thinking it over.

"Yeah, no. Being a slave definitely wouldn't have worked for me, and I wouldn't have let her take you." Issei said, shaking his head.

Akeno looked at Issei. Ever since...what had happened, had happened, he'd been ridiculously overprotective of her, and he wasn't shy about it. When Rias had tried to offer them places in her peerage, the boy was quick to turn her down for the both of them. Akeno _would've_ raised an argument, saying she had as much say in the decision as he did, but frankly, she found it touching. So, she stayed a Fallen, and he stayed a Dragon.

The girl grinned, thinking about how much she cared for Issei, and suddenly wrapped herself around his left arm.

"Wha? Akeno?" Issei said, surprised.

"I got dizzy. I need to lean on you." Akeno said, with her best hurt-puppy expression. Issei sighed, with a faint blush, and kept walking.

Akeno was, to put it simply, absolutely head-over-heels for Issei. But, at the same time, she wasn't sure of his feelings, and so she didn't try to take their relationship any further than it was. If she did, she'd risk ruining their friendship, and...she couldn't handle that.

"You know, this is kinda hard for me, as a guy." Issei said, slowly.

Akeno knew _exactly_ what he meant, but feigned ignorance. Her breasts were always hard for him to talk about, even though she didn't mind in the slightest. His arm was currently sandwiched between them, and it was driving him crazy.

"Oh? Whatever could you mean?" Akeno asked, sweetly.

"Your...you...I...you can't...hmm." Issei said, clamping down on the sentence he'd butchered, trying to collect his thoughts. Akeno pressed his arm further into her bosom, making it even harder for him to think straight.

"Yes?" Akeno asked, looking up at his eyes.

"...This isn't fair." Issei said, looking away.

"All's fair in love and war." Akeno said, smiling until she realized _exactly_ what had come out of her mouth.

"If you say so…" Issei mumbled. She inwardly sighed in relief, the boy not realizing she'd just admitted her feelings for him.

Akeno laughed, reminding herself that Issei was totally dense.

"So, are you ready to be a third year?" Issei asked, trying to ignore everything about his left arm.

"Of course. But, are _you_ ready to be a second year?" Akeno asked, looking up at him.

"Are you kidding? I was born ready." Issei said, acting like he didn't almost fail his first year. If it weren't for Akeno tutoring him, he probably _would've_ failed.

"I'm glad."

They neared the gates of the school, and Issei attempted to pull away from the girl, to no avail.

"Hey, we can't walk in there like this…" Issei said, looking worried.

"Hm? Why not?" Akeno asked. She knew the answer, she just really didn't care.

"Are you kidding? The guys are gonna rip me to pieces if they see us like this!"

"And why is that?"

"Because if some random guy walks in with the prettiest girl here, there's gonna be problems." Issei said, not excited at all for what was going to happen.

Akeno blushed, and pretended to look at something in the other direction. In reality, she was labeled the second prettiest girl at Kuoh, behind Rias Gremory, but that never convinced Issei. Never for a moment did he believe she was anything but perfect, and he wasn't shy about telling her.

He made her heart flutter, but she didn't show it. Instead, she kept teasing him.

"Issei~, are you embarrassed of me?" Akeno asked, pulling away from him.

Almost immediately, he missed the warmth of her touch.

See, Issei was absolutely _smitten_ with Akeno, but he didn't have the guts to tell her, in fear that it would ruin their friendship. If he lost Akeno...he didn't know what he'd do. So, he just settled with being her best friend.

"Absolutely not." Issei said, aghast at the thought.

"Well, if you don't want to be seen with me…" Akeno said, trailing off and slowly drifting away from the boy.

Issei grit his teeth, before walking up to the girl and grabbing her right hand in his left. He didn't say anything, and almost immediately looked away, but Akeno could practically hear his blush.

"This is your fault. Deal with it." Issei said, trying to play it off like he wasn't totally enjoying holding her hand. And, of course, Akeno was loving every second of it too.

They'd definitely be giving people the wrong impression, walking in the school gates holding hands, but neither of them really cared. Well, Issei cared a little, because he could already feel guys shooting him nasty glares, but he didn't care enough to let go of her hand.

The two of them passed the school gates, hand in hand.

* * *

 **"Belial, why is this chapter so short?" Like I said up top, I ran out of time for more, so I just cut it off in the best place. I'm just gonna skip right into explaining stuff, cus I'm tired.**

 **Q1: Are Issei/Akeno's parents alive? A: Wait and see.**

 **Q2: Will Issei and Akeno get together? A: Are you joking? Of course they will, it's a fluff story.**

 **Q3: What happened in their past? A: Wait and see.**

 **Q4: Did anyone beta this chapter? A: YES, actually. Several people looked over it several times, before I finally posted it. Too many names to count, though, so if you want to talk to them just PM me about joining our discord.**

 **Q5: Is the original "His Maiden" canceled? A: Oh yes, absolutely. I didn't like that story at all.**

 **Q6: What's next for Belial? A: Probably His Angel. Maybe Valkyrie. Maybe Horns, maybe this. Maybe a new Tiamat or Kuroka story. You'll have to wait and see.**

 **That's about all I've got to say. If you have questions, as always, PM me or review. Review anyway, just cus you love me. That's all for now, till next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I _did_ say I was going on hiatus for a bit, but this chapter was mostly written already from a while back, so I just touched it up a bit and finished it, and now I'll post it. I know I said on the first chapter 'expect another chapter soon' but we can all see how that turned out, oops. As always, I do like to hear suggestions about plot or characters, so don't be afraid to say something, even if you think it's stupid. ****Anyway, here it is. Read and review, and PM me if you have questions or ideas.**

* * *

Issei sighed as he dragged his feet on the ground, pulling himself from the classroom with all the speed of a crippled snail. His first day as a second year hadn't been enjoyable in the slightest. The teacher was dull, the lesson was boring, and he had no friends in his class. The boy maneuvered himself throughout the hallways, searching for the one person he'd enjoy being around.

Issei reached the center of the bottom floor of the school, a large room with lockers and several branching hallways. That was where Akeno said she'd meet him; so that's where he went. As Issei turned a corner, he saw Akeno, backed against a wall, with a large boy cornering her there.

"Come on, sweetheart. Just you and me, it'll be fun…" The boy said. His right hand was against the wall, next to her head, and his left was centimeters from touching her chest, moving closer every second. He was mere moments from assaulting the girl in the middle of the school.

He never got the chance.

As soon as Akeno saw Issei, she slapped the would-be molester in the face with a bit of supernatural strength, sending him sprawling. She practically dashed to Issei, a glowing smile on her face. The offending boy groveled on the ground, holding his hurt face and wondering what happened.

"Hi, Issei!" Akeno said, running over to him.

"Ah, finally. I was starting to think I'd never find you. You, uh...run into some trouble?" Issei asked, looking behind Akeno at the shell-shocked boy.

"Just some creep. He was trying to touch me, and I thought if I didn't handle it, you would've. He should consider himself lucky." Akeno said, smirking.

"He was trying to touch you?" Issei asked, narrowing his eyes. He'd seen the two of them, but with the angle he'd been at, he hadn't seen the act itself.

Akeno instantly recognized the look on Issei's face. This was precisely what she'd been trying to avoid; when Issei sensed any kind of threat to her safety, no matter how minor, he tended to...overreact. He tried to walk forward, but she pushed on his chest with both hands, taking his attention off of the boy.

"No need to get angry, Issei. Trust me when I say he won't try it again." Akeno whispered, giggling.

Issei was surprised when she stopped him, but it didn't surprise him enough to leaven his anger at the offender. He still stared over her shoulder, wondering what to do with the boy.

" _Stop it_." Akeno said, poking his nose. He didn't even react to the first poke, so she kept poking him until he stopped trying to glare a hole into the boy.

"Agh, alright, fine, stop poking me!" Issei said, laughing and pushing her invading hands away.

"So, are you gonna hold my hand again, or are you _scared?"_ Akeno asked him, teasingly poking him in the ribs. Personal space was something the two of them had thrown away a long time ago, about the same time as when Akeno started having night terrors.

"I'm not scared of anything..." Issei started, grumbling and taking her hand, "...and I don't get why you like this so much."

Akeno put her unused hand on her chin in a thinking pose. "Hmmm...me neither."

"So you don't want to?"

"No, I do~."

"But you don't know why."

"Nope."

"Hmph."

The two of them walked out of the school like they'd came in, holding hands. Issei was still nervous and mildly worried about their public image, but Akeno was overjoyed to get another chance at it.

They walked and talked about random nonsense, just like two best friends normally would, with the exception of holding hands. Issei was trying his hardest to keep his palm from sweating, and he was failing miserably. Akeno found it incredibly adorable.

Several minutes later, they were about halfway home, on top of an overpass.

"No, Superman could totally beat Batman. He just chooses not to."

"Batman can beat Superman anytime he wants to. He's done it before."

"Only because Superman let him."

Issei sighed. Akeno was resolute in her defense of Superman; and even though Batman was _obviously_ superior, she refused to believe he could beat the Man of Steel.

As they walked over the bridge, a girl in an opposing school's uniform blocked their path, getting their attention and cutting the superhero discussion short.

"Um, are you Issei Hyoudou?" The girl asked, tilting her head. She looked _strikingly_ similar to Akeno, with black hair and violet eyes.

"Yeah. Have we met?" Issei asked. Next to him, Akeno was smiling with an absolutely _vicious_ aura around her. Her eyes were closed, but if they were open, you could probably see Hell in them.

While Issei is openly protective over Akeno, she _jealously_ guards him behind his back. If she hears a girl talking about him, she's quick to... _squash_ any potential threats to her relationship with Issei. So, when this random girl walks up and starts talking to him _while they're holding hands,_ she can't help but feel a but angry.

"No, but, um, I'm Yuuma, and I wanted to know...will you go out with me?!" Yuuma squeaked out, blushing furiously.

Now, Akeno was trying her best to contain herself, she really was, but when she heard Yuuma ask out Issei _right in front of her_ , she could only react a couple ways.

"What?!" Akeno yelled, shocked. Issei looked over at her, surprised. Ignoring her outburst, he turned back to the nervous Yuuma.

"No, sorry. There's someone...I have feelings for." Issei said, blushing and looking away from both of them. Akeno's grip on his hand reached crushing strength in a heartbeat.

Yuuma looked angry for a fraction of a second, but quickly recovered. Akeno stuck her tongue out at the girl while Issei wasn't looking, happy he'd turned her down. Of course, she'd have to have a little _chat_ with Issei later about who he was crushing on.

"O-okay…" Yuuma said, walking past them, to where they'd come from. She was soon out of sight. Issei and Akeno resumed walking, the odd interruption all but forgotten, except for one part.

"So, Issei. Who is it you have feelings for?" Akeno asked, dangerously sweet.

"...there's no way Batman _couldn't_ beat Superman." Issei said, trying to change the subject. Akeno, frustrated and knowing she wouldn't get an answer, knowingly took the bait. She just desperately hoped he was lying about liking someone, or at least someone other than her.

"Superman could make Batman into a carpet stain if he wanted to!"

* * *

The two teens walked into their house, and set their bags by the door.

In reality, they each had their own houses, ever since childhood. They'd both inherited one, but they chose to use Issei's. Akeno hadn't been to her house in years; it brought up too many bad memories.

"So what should we do?" Issei asked, sitting down on their couch. Akeno stayed standing, looking at him expectantly.

"Your homework. I know you got some." Akeno said, sly.

"Are you kidding? It was the first day."

"You _do_ know I was a second year at one point, right?"

"So?"

"I remember how it works."

"Things have changed, old lady."

"Really? In a year, things have changed?"

"Mhmm."

"Issei, do you have homework?" Akeno asked, looking him in the eyes.

Issei didn't say anything at first, he just matched her gaze. But, before long, he broke. "...Maybe." He said, looking away.

"Mhm, I thought so. You should do it now, so you don't have to later."

" _Or,_ I could do it later so I don't have to now." Issei suggested, turning her words around.

"If you have to do it later, we won't have time to go hunting~." Akeno said, tilting her head with a grin. "And, we really need to. This one's a mess, says Rias."

Issei hissed. He'd forgotten. The boy let out an exaggerated sigh, and went to fetch his bag.

"So you _don't_ have homework?"

"Are you kidding? It was the first day. No one gives homework on the first day, Issei."

Issei yelled in frustration at Akeno's teasing voice.

* * *

Several hours later, Issei finished what should've been a simple assignment. It was a math page with the intention of measuring the students' knowledge on various subjects; in reality, it wasn't meant to be completely finished, but Akeno was relentless, and wouldn't let him stop before he was done.

Issei threw down his pencil and yelled in victory, making Akeno laugh. She stood up from beside his seat at the desk in his room, and he stood up after her. They both went the their living room, and Issei looked out a window.

"It's already dark outside…" He remarked.

"Mhmm. Help me fix dinner, and we can go hunting."

"Yes ma'am!"

Akeno was quite possibly one of the best cooks in Japan, and Issei was more than ready to help if it meant eating something prepared by her.

* * *

Akeno and Issei sat near each other at their table in the kitchen. Issei was leaned back, holding his stomach with a satisfied expression, while Akeno had a far more ladylike stature.

Suddenly, Issei stood up, remembering what she'd said earlier.

"Akeno!"

"Hm?"

"Let's go!"

"Where?"

"Agh, come on!"

Akeno laughed at his insistence, before standing up with him. The two of them went to their living room yet again, only this time, Issei stood still in the center of the room while Akeno stood back and watched him.

"Balance Breaker!" Issei shouted, and the room was filled with red light. Akeno raised her hands, spells flashing in both of them. What she was doing was dampening his release of power so that the neighbors, all of them mundane humans, wouldn't think anything weird was happening. They couldn't even see the lights from outside, with her spells in effect.

 **[Balance Breaker - Scale Mail!]** A deep and powerful voice welled up from somewhere inside Issei, and suddenly the red light around him formed into shockingly powerful red armor, covering him from head to toe. It was plate mail, thick and hard, shaped in the shape of a menacing red dragon. It had green jewels set all along the armor, and a long, red, whip-like metal tail protruding from between his shoulders.

"Wow. Hot." Akeno said, dropping her spells. She'd seen Issei use balance breaker so many times she'd lost count, but the appearance of his armor never failed to impress her. Not to mention, the raw power he exuded made her a bit...excited.

"You ready?" Issei asked, turning to her.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Akeno said, approaching him. He picked her up in a bridal carry, and carried her out their back door.

Issei outside with Akeno, and took a stance in the middle of their backyard. His knees were bent and he stood crouched; he looked ready to jump into the sky at a moments' notice, which, really, he was.

"Where is this place again? Just checking."

"Rias said it was the closed down bowling alley, in the back of town."

"Cool. Buckle up."

"Ready when you are." Akeno said, giggling. She always loved this part.

 **[Jet!]** Ddraig, the Dragon within the armor, yelled, and Issei shot into the air faster than the eye could see. Akeno's joyous screaming could be heard for miles, not that anybody knew where it was coming from.

Within seconds, Issei was in the stratosphere, surrounded by clouds. Akeno was laughing gleefully in his arms as he positioned himself.

"You alright?" Issei called out, making sure Akeno was fine. He knew she was, but really, he couldn't help but make sure.

"I'm great! Keep going!" Akeno yelled, giddy. She couldn't get enough of the feeling of not only being in Issei's arms, but the sheer adrenaline of going faster than sound.

Issei nodded in response, before repositioning and shooting back down at the same speed he'd come up.

Really, Akeno and Issei could both fly with their normal wings, but Ddraig's Jet ability let Issei move quite a bit faster than the speed of sound with none of the bad stuff that would normally come from going so fast. It was far quicker, and in Akeno's opinion, more fun.

When they were several meters from the ground, Issei flared his draconic wings, and brought them to a stop in the air. They hovered above a large one-story building, looking down over it. Issei let go of Akeno, and she unleashed two of her own wings, those of a Fallen Angel. She flew beside him, with just a couple flaps here and there keeping her aloft.

"This is the place?" Issei asked. There were reports of a stray devil inside, but he didn't see anything unusual.

"That's what Rias said." Akeno replied, flying towards the building. Issei followed her, and withdrew his wings. He fell onto the roof, landing with his knees bent. His heavy armor slammed into the building, with a sound like an earthquake. Whoever was inside would know they had visitors.

Akeno stayed aloft, flying just behind where Issei walked. They moved towards an entrance on the roof, not bothering to stay quiet or be subtle.

They were just about to a roof access door when there was a crash, and the door rocketed off the hinges towards Issei.

Dust and debris filled the air in an instant. Issei grabbed the flying door as it whizzed past him and redirected it, sending it hurtling back towards whoever blew it off. Akeno shouted something and spread her arms, and all the wreckage and rubble was cleared from the air, leaving them a perfect view of their target, the Stray Devil Viser.

Stray Devils are monstrosities, formed when a reincarnated devil goes power-mad and starts devouring the life force of other beings. It's things like them that gave rise to the legends and myths of demons in the ancient world. They're a far cry from anything a normal devil would ever look or act like. This one in particular, Viser, was a nasty piece of work.

Her body was composed of two parts; a human half, relatively attractive, and a horrific centaur half. She had a semi-decent torso and head, but everything under her waist was monstrous and vile. Her legs were only slightly bigger than a normal humans', but they were covered in fur and had eight claws on each 'foot', if you could even call them that. She was completely nude, and appeared to be nursing a nasty wound on her head from the returned door.

"You don't look so tough." Akeno mused, smiling behind a magic barrier.

"Who the hell are you two?!" Viser roared. She attempted to charge at Issei, but the boy jumped aside just in time for the Stray Devil to be torched by lightning from Akeno. She fell to the ground, burnt beyond belief.

Issei looked back at Akeno, surprised. "Seriously? We just got here!" He yelled, in good humor. They normally drug out their fights with stray devils, if for no other reason than to accumulate experience.

"She's topless. It made me jealous how much you were looking at her chest." Akeno said, giving a cute 'hmph' and looking away, her long hair swishing behind her.

"I was not!"

"Hmph."

Viser groaned, her charred body rolling over face-up. Issei looked back at her in surprise, not realizing she was still alive. He sighed. He was hoping she'd died from that. He hated mercy kills.

"Any last words, Viser?" The Red Dragon asked, walking slowly up to her. His heavy armor shook the roof with each step, and to Viser, it sounded like Death himself was stomping over to her.

"Kill me…" She moaned in despair, the pain of her incinerated nerves too much to bear.

Issei sighed once more. He hated this part of the job, but Rias paid well. "Fine. Akeno, look away."

Akeno started to protest, but Issei raised his right leg, and she hurriedly shut her eyes. There was a sickening crunch, and she reopened them.

Issei shook off his leg, trying to remove the devil's gore and brain matter. He kicked her corpse back into the hole she'd made when she threw the door at him, and walked back over to Akeno.

"You stink." Akeno said, waving her hand in front of her nose.

"Oh, sorry, did you want to get nasty devil cannibal chunks all over your leg? Didn't think so."

"Testy, testy. Go over there and stand still." Akeno pointed at a corner of the roof about ten feet from her, and Issei stomped over to it. Once he was there, she pointed her right palm at him, and a jet of pure and cold water streamed over his armor, cleansing him. After a moment, she dispersed the spell.

"Why is it always cold water…?" Issei asked, shaking himself off. The spell she'd used had washed him off, sure, but it left him absolutely fridged.

Akeno definitely could've used hot water, but then she wouldn't get to experience what he would do next. She shrugged with a sly grin.

 **[Explosion!]** Issei released a wave of intoxicating power and heat to warm himself up, and it nearly brought Akeno to her knees. She tried her hardest to keep a cool demeanor, but her eyes were very obviously half-lidded and the corner of her mouth twitched. Thankfully, her partner didn't notice.

"Are you ready to go?" Issei asked, suddenly right in front of her. Akeno snapped back to attention, nodding absentmindedly. He picked her up again, and his armor was hot to the touch. It wasn't so hot that she'd be uncomfortable, but it was just hot enough that she felt like she was in a sauna.

They shot off into the air again, headed home. Unbeknownst to them, two pairs of eyes were watching from nearby, very interested in the people they'd just seen.

" _Is that them, Raynare?"_

" _Yeah. Azazel said the boy is a high priority target. We're supposed to keep an eye on him. The girl doesn't really matter."_

" _What about Kokabiel?"_

" _He said to kill them both."_

* * *

Issei, now in his bedroom at his and Akeno's home, plopped down on the bed in his red flannel pajamas. He'd expected far more of a fight from the stray, but Akeno had totally scorched it with lightning before it had even gotten to transform.

 **[Are you really complaining you didn't get to fight more?]**

"Of course not. I'm glad it wasn't hard, and I'm glad nobody got hurt...except it, I guess. It just seemed like a wasted trip. Rias made it out to be some horrific monster."

 **[Guess you got lucky.]**

"Guess so."

 **[You should stay with your mate tonight.]**

"Ugh, Ddraig, come on! She's not my mate, we've been over this!"

 **[Whatever you say, but my point stands. The fighting, brief as it was, will likely spark another episode.]**

"Yeah, I know, I know. Really, I should just start doing these by myself, but I don't ever want to leave her alone again."

 **[I'm well aware. Nobody understands your predicament better than I. Regardless, she'll almost certainly have a terror tonight.]**

Issei sighed and pulled himself off the bed. He left his room, heading to the bathroom. The door was closed, and the sounds of a shower could be heard behind it. He lightly rapped it with his knuckles.

"Come to join me, Issei?" Akeno asked from in the shower. She was in the midst of washing her long black hair when she'd heard the knock.

Issei blushed, imagining the scenario. ' _I wish.'_

"Not this time, just wondering how late you'll be up."

Akeno hissed quietly, hoping he'd say yes. She knew that, in reality, he'd never in a million years just jump into the shower with her, but it didn't stop her from hoping.

"I was going to go to bed right after this, why?"

"Just curious. I'll be on the couch if you need me."

"Okay~."

Issei moved away from the door and into the living room, throwing himself across the couch. He turned on their TV and launched Netflix, flipping to some random comedy show. He propped his feet up on their coffee table and lay back, leaving the side next to him open in case she wanted to sit down, though he didn't think she would. He intended to wait for Akeno to go to bed, and then stay awake while she slept, just in case she started having a night terror. Her bedroom was right next to the living room, so he could walk in at a moment's notice if he heard something amiss.

After several minutes, Akeno left the bathroom, wrapped in two towels; one on her head, and one around her body. Issei pretended to slumber on the couch, though he was actually aware of each and every thing going on. She looked down at him and smiled softly, then went into her own room, closing the door.

Issei heard the lights flick on, and then after another couple of minutes, instead of hearing them turn off again like he expected, her door opened again. Akeno came back into the living room, in her own pajamas. Like Issei, she had on flannel pants; but hers were black, like her wings. Her shirt, unlike Issei's plain red one, was black with a stylized red dragon on it. It wasn't hard to see the meaning behind her choice of attire. It was obvious that she wore the shirt because she was Issei's biggest fan, though he thought she liked it because it looked cool.

She tiptoed from her door to his place on the couch, then quietly sat beside him, snuggling into his side. Issei didn't react at all; this was by no means the first time they'd slept together, and it was most certainly not the first time they'd shared a couch. Issei silently slid his arm over her shoulder, and she rested her head against his.

Akeno sighed happily. Issei's skin, due to him being the Red Dragon, was perpetually in a state of comforting warmth, and she couldn't get enough of it. Cuddling with him was her favorite pastime, and he always made her feel secure like nothing else in the world could. In his arms, she felt safe again, like nothing could ever possibly harm her. And, while he still drew breath, nothing would.

"Issei...thanks for being there for me." Akeno whispered, so quiet she was almost inaudible, but he heard every word. She leaned close and planted a kiss on his cheek, then snuggled back into his side, drifting off to sleep. She knew that he only stayed up so he could comfort her if she had a night terror, and she knew he did it often. She also knew that he wasn't asleep, but she didn't really care.

Issei's mind was whirling with questions, but the first and foremost was 'did she really just kiss me?' He opened his eyes, and looked down to see her sleeping silently on his chest, a soft smile on her face. He sighed, then closed his own eyes once more.

The two of them slept peacefully all night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, okay, I know it's been eight months since I updated this one, but I promise it's not (completely) dead! Luckily for all of you Akeno fans, somebody on Fanfic (NDuncs) has renewed my interest in this story, so I threw together a chapter to try and get back into it. I'm gonna put the majority of the AN up here this time, just cus.**

 **So, my main concern about this story has always been the tone. It needs to be a light-hearted and fun story, yes, but at the same time- it would be an injustice to Akeno's character to gloss over her tragic backstory, or in this case, _their_ tragic backstory. This is definitely going to be one of my more solemn stories, as it deals with themes like mental illness and PTSD, as well as some other things that you wouldn't find in the typical DxD story. Coming back to my main point- expect this story to be light when it can be, and dark when it needs to be. That said, don't expect oodles of edge like His Angel's opening. Nothing like that. **

**Okay, here's an important bit. What I need from most of you, after reading this chapter, is suggestions. Another big part of why I haven't updated this is that I just didn't have any ideas. If you read this story, you're invested in it- if you weren't planning on leaving a review at all, or you were just going to say "Great chapter, keep it up" (don't do that) then just review and leave some ideas instead. Scene ideas, plot ideas, anything. No matter how big or small, I take everything into consideration, so don't be scared. I don't bite much.**

 **Okay, I've covered pretty much everything I want to right now. Read on, and don't forget to review!**

* * *

"Mom, please wake up. Mom, mom!"

Issei screamed over the corpse of his mother. Akeno, just behind him, was mute from shock, with tears running down her wide eyes.

They hadn't just stopped at Shuri.

Issei's mother and father, too.

His mother's throat had been slashed and she'd choked to death, on her own blood. His father was killed in the same way, except his slash had been much more thorough. His head toppled to the ground and rolled to a stop in front of his wife, who'd been dispatched in such a way that she had just enough time to look into his eyes before she died.

And it would be Issei and Akeno next.

"Filth. To consort with a fallen angel...despicable."

Issei had seen only the aftermath. He'd come into the room needing help desperately, only to find their bodies, and the men responsible.

There were three- a bald ringleader with a sharpened katana, and two henchmen with simple knives. They all wore the navy blue robes of the Himejima clan, and looked down at the two children like they were trash.

"Grab the girl," the bald one ordered, and his henchmen moved forward towards Akeno, who screamed and stepped back towards the open door.

By that time, the rest of the clansmen were starting to arrive. They came in from behind Akeno, who had nowhere to go as they picked her up by the arms, screaming.

Issei was numb. This had to be a dream. His parents...dead?

Impossible.

It had to be a nightmare.

Then, he heard Akeno's screams.

They cut through his psyche like a hot knife. He looked up from the ground at the group of men holding her up as the bald man approached, blade drawn.

"A-Akeno…not you too…" He said dumbly, unable to comprehend what was happening.

And then he remembered Shuri's death rattle. Her dying wish.

" _Take care of my baby, Issei!"_

He would. Even if it cost him everything, he would.

Issei rushed the man holding Akeno's right arm, and punched him as hard as possible in the scrotum. He yelled out in pain and fell to the floor, and his comrades swarmed Issei. They pinned him to the floor, and once the man he punched had recovered, he kicked Issei in the face.

Akeno screamed again. One of the people holding her covered her mouth, preventing any further noise.

Issei put up a mighty struggle and fought with fury unparalleled, but he was just a kid. It did next to nothing, and he knew it.

They'd kill he and Akeno both, and get away with it.

Just for her father being a fallen angel.

The injustice of it all made Issei's blood boil.

 **[Do you want revenge? Do you want to save the girl?]**

A voice spoke into his mind, but Issei wasn't even coherent enough to form a proper answer. He roared out in challenge, fighting his way off the floor.

 **[I offer you the power to save...wait-! No, you fools! He's just a child! Partner, don't list…]**

The voice was suddenly drowned out by a chorus of chanting.

Issei heard their words clearly and spoke them himself, half-unaware of what he was doing.

" **I, who shall awaken..."**

* * *

"Issei, you okay?"

Issei snapped to attention, brought back to reality by Akeno poking his cheek. He pushed her hand off him, ignoring her prodding. Of course, that only made her redouble her efforts, poking him with the other hand too. He glared at her, but she stuck her tongue out and tilted her head.

Issei couldn't help but grin. As much as he didn't want to, she was still a bright light in the dark.

"So, what's wrong?" Akeno tilted her head in a serious question. The two of them were laying on their couch, a couple days after the encounter with Yuuma.

Issei just shook his head. His face was downcast, and his eyes reflected nothing but emptiness. Akeno had seen that look before, on him and in the mirror. They were both very familiar with the feeling.

"Mmm." She didn't say anything, just hummed and wrapped him up in a hug. There were no secrets between them, no words left to say. She knew exactly what he meant, and knew there was nothing she could do except be there.

That's how it was, with them.

Nothing they could do.

Nothing anyone else could do.

Nobody could make them forget the faces of their dead parents.

Nobody could take away her hate.

Nobody could wash the blood off his hands.

All they had was each other, and they both knew it very well.

"Do you wanna stay in today?" Akeno asked, right by the right side of his face.

It took Issei several moments to react, but he eventually did, nodding. That one movement told Akeno exactly what kind of day it would be.

It was the weekend, and the two of them would generally do something- whether it's going out to eat or going shopping or just walking around town, Akeno insisted that it was unhealthy to stay inside too much. Even on a day like that one, when rain buffeted the windows and lightning cracked the sky, they'd do something.

But, if it ever got to be too much, and one of them needed time- it was never too much to ask to just stay home, even on a school day. It happened more than you might think.

Akeno got up from her place beside him, and closed all the blinds in the room. She turned off the TV and the lights, and lit some incense-candles. She put on soft and reassuring orchestral music and began to make some tea.

Issei just stared at the ground, unblinking, numb. His mind was somewhere else entirely. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry. His clenched jaw quivered, and his breathing was shallow.

Akeno, noticing his worsening condition, left the tea half-done on the counter and swiftly sat down beside him once more. She clasped his hands, reminding him she was there.

With that, Issei came back to reality. He slowly looked towards her, shame in his eyes. It wasn't often he broke down like that, but it did happen, and it shattered Akeno's heart every time.

She guessed this particular episode probably had something to do with the events of the stray devil hunt, from a few days ago. Issei _hated_ fighting, and killing even more so- but because the stray devil was so undoubtedly wicked and was most certainly murdering innocent humans, he couldn't just stand by and watch. Whenever a case like that came up in or near Kuoh, which was _his_ territory by decree of the Yokai Queen, it was his responsibility.

That said, killing anything, even something as vile as Viser, left an impact on him. It might not show right away, or even the day after, but it will affect him, every time. He pretended to act excited about it, pretended to _want_ the violence, sometimes going so far as to prolong the fight just to gain experience- but she knew better. He just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible, and wash his hands of the hunt as soon as he could. The experience was for nothing other than so he could end the next battle faster.

Some part of Akeno wished she knew what Issei was going through, so she could help him. She herself had never killed before- he wouldn't let her, specifically so she would never know what it was like. As thankful as she was for that, it made her feel useless whenever he had an episode like this- she could do nothing but comfort him.

Movement caught her eye, getting her attention. Issei had just picked his head up, sighing deeply. "I'm alright," he said quietly, smiling at her.

Was he alright?

No. He knew that, and she knew it too.

But he was alright for now, that was the best the two of them could hope for.

"What's the plan for today?" Issei asked, trying to shift her focus off of him.

It was a dreary, nasty day in Kuoh. Slow but steady rain had been falling since the small hours of the morning, and at dawn sheer darkness finally gave way to dark grey clouds covering the whole sky. Occasionally some far off thunder made itself known, reminding everyone in town that it was the worst part of the stormy season.

"Not much. Do you have any school work?" Akeno got up and resumed making the tea, satisfied that he would be okay without her right there.

"No."

"Anything in particular you want to do?"

"Nothing comes to mind."

"Then I guess we do nothing~." Akeno replied brightly, pouring boiling water into her and Issei's mugs. Teaware was generally expensive china, but two teenagers could scarcely afford running water on their own, much less fancy cups. They each had earthenware mugs, gifts from an old friend of theirs, and that's what they drank tea from whenever the mood struck.

Issei nodded to himself, not really up for doing anything super intensive anyway. On top of the coffee table just in front of him, there was a white Xbox controller, one of a pair. He picked it up, and turned the TV on with a remote.

It might seem like a weird choice- but the console was a gift from their benefactor, and while one might think the two teens wouldn't take to gaming as a respite from their daily lives, they most certainly did. Issei liked peaceful games where he could simply build or explore, while Akeno enjoyed FPSs and RPGs, preferring high-octane violence to the simple pleasures.

Akeno was soon beside him with two cups. She put them both down on the coffee table, picked up a novel that had been right beside the other Xbox controller, and sat down with her back against Issei's side, using his right shoulder like a pillow as she flipped to her previous place in the book.

* * *

 _ **Two hours later**_

* * *

Akeno's feet were over the side of their meager couch, her head was in Issei's lap, and the book she'd been reading was covering her face. Slow, soft breathing could be heard from under the novel, and Issei was almost tempted to move it just so he could get a picture of her sleeping face to show her later. She might've been graceful, elegant, and beautiful while awake, but she slept like a man twice her size.

It wasn't even past noon, but she'd accidentally woken up too early and hadn't been able to go back to sleep, so she'd been a little tired all morning. That, combined with the grey atmosphere of the drizzly day and the calming effect of the tea she'd made, had sent her right to naptime. Issei didn't mind- he'd simply muted _Stardew Valley_ and kept playing with her head on his lap, unaffected. It was hardly the first time that had happened, and when woke up she was likely to stay there and keep reading anyway.

"Issei, no~...you can't, somebody will see us…"

Now, _that_ hadn't happened before. Issei blanched, pausing the game and sitting extremely still. He scarcely breathed, silently awaiting her next sleep-mumble, certain he'd misheard her.

"Ah, not there…" Akeno squirmed a bit on his lap.

No, he hadn't misheard her. His cheeks took on a bright red blush, unable to believe what he was hearing. Was she having a naughty dream about...him?

Surely not.

A storm of thoughts went through Issei's mind all at once. If she was having a dirty dream about him, was she enjoying it? She certainly seemed to be. If she was, did that mean she liked him like that? Did she think of him as something other than a surrogate brother, like he desperately hoped she did?

To know, he had to see her face.

Carefully, ever so carefully, Issei lifted the book off her face, half-worried he'd see something like pain on her expression.

Instead, he just saw her gleaming violet eyes looking up at him mischievously. She wore an innocent smile, and he realized he wasn't careful enough.

"Something wrong, Issei? You're blushing." Akeno said, looking up at him without moving from his lap.

"N-no. You sounded like you were in pain." Issei said, resuming the game and trying not to look at her.

"Oh. I was having a good dream. You were there." Akeno said innocently, as if he hadn't just heard all about it.

"Really?" Issei asked, trying not to let his voice crack. Akeno being Akeno, he couldn't tell if she was just messing with him or if she really didn't realize she had been moaning on his lap.

"Mhmm. We were at school."

' _At school?!'_ Issei yelled inwardly, impressed by her depravity.

"What were doing at school?" He asked, swallowing his nervousness. Surely she wouldn't just admit it, right?

"Oh, nothing much." She yawned cutely, stretching out horizontally like a cat. "Just some schoolwork."

"O-oh." Issei said, trying and failing to keep his focus on the TV and not her unflinching gaze. "I uh, I'll be right back."

"Don't let me stop you." Akeno raised her head, allowing Issei to slip out from under her and flee to another room.

As soon as he was gone, she sat up and put her burning face in her hands.

' _Stupid, stupid, stupid!'_ She chided herself, having failed miserably in her attempt at getting him to look at her like a woman. Of _course_ he would be weirded out, she was practically his sibling! What had she been thinking?

Akeno was not a patient woman. When she wanted something, she generally strived to get it, no matter what. With Issei, however- that was another matter entirely. She'd been in love with him since they were kids, but had always repressed her emotions out of fear of driving him away. Lately however, her feelings had become _unbearable_. She found herself more and more driven to trying to be more than just his fake sister, more than just a housemate. She wanted to be Mrs. Hyoudou, not Mrs. Lives with Hyoudou.

But she didn't know how to go about it. She had no idea how to tell Issei she loved him without the possibility of making him leave her, and it was driving her insane. She knew her body had an effect on him, but was it attraction or just awkwardness? Was it like his crush was touching on him, or like his sister was way too close?

Akeno felt like screaming. She wanted so badly to tell him, to just scream out " _I love you!"_ but she could never be certain he would return the feeling. What would be even worse than him leaving, was that he didn't love her like that but stayed anyway- she knew he would. Just because he cared about her so much, he'd pretend to love her, so she wouldn't be hurt any more. She cherished that about him, but it just made everything that much more confusing.

Collecting herself, Akeno laid back down on the couch and resolved herself not to do anything else that he might think is weird.

In Issei's room, he was sitting on the edge of his bed, head in hands.

' _Stuid, stupid, stupid!'_ He chided himself, frustrated that he'd let himself think something so idiotic. Of _course_ she had just been messing with him, just trying to get a rise out of him. Obviously she'd never think about him like that- he was pretty much her brother.

No matter how much he loved her, how much he wanted them to be more than just what they were- he couldn't be sure that she felt the same. If she didn't, and his feelings scared her off...he didn't know if he could go on living. There wasn't anything else in the world for him, not if she left. He couldn't even bear the thought of a world without Akeno, lover or not, so he repressed his feelings for her.

Collecting himself, he stood up, burying any further nonsensical thoughts about Akeno being in love with him.

Ddraig sat inside the Boosted Gear, toothed maw buried in sharp talons. " **Stupid, stupid, stupid! You're both stupid!"** He yelled to no one in particular, _beyond_ tired of them both playing coy with each other. Anyone with eyes and even most people _without_ eyes could tell that they were meant to be together, but they _insisted_ on being difficult.

Ddraig had half a mind to just take over his host's body and confess Issei's feelings himself, but he knew that would break the natural progression of things, and _God forbid_ that happened. The ancient dragon was annoyed beyond belief, but begrudgingly remained silent inside his prison.

After about fifteen minutes of inner monologue, Issei hesitantly walked back inside the living room, trying to be quiet.

Luckily for him, Akeno had apparently gone back to sleep, sprawled out over most of the couch.

Sighing, he shook his head. It was impossible to resist his own feelings. She was just too...immaculate. Even like that, spread clumsily out over a dingy couch, she was impossibly gorgeous, and she made his heart race. Even in her pajamas, black hair loose over her shoulders, mouth hanging open in a quiet snore- there wasn't a thing about her he'd change.

Unable to resist himself, he knelt down beside her, looking down over her face. He gently kissed her forehead, in much the same way she'd kissed his cheek several days prior, and sighed again.

"I love you so much…" Issei quietly murmured, almost as if in a trance, before he blanched yet again as he realized exactly what he said. Good thing she was asleep, or he'd be screwed.

Unfortunately, or rather, _very_ fortunately for both of them, Akeno was only pretending to be asleep.


	4. Fox Queen

**I don't really feel like typing anything up here, and I can't think of anything super important, so I'm just gonna give you the normal nonsense about how I now have more time to write and all that. Read and review, give suggestions for chapters or scenes or whatever you'd like to see in the story cus I have no idea where it's going.**

* * *

"Lady Yasaka, the Red Dragon has awakened in Kuoh Town!"

An out-of-breath Tengu shouted towards Yakaska, leader of the Yokai faction, after bursting through the door in a frenzy.

The Nine-Tailed Fox immediately stood to attention, fear in her eyes.

"How many dead?"

* * *

Akeno, nearly dead on her feet, struggled to pull Issei's body behind her as she fled deeper and deeper into the Kuoh forest. He'd just _exploded,_ instantly incinerating the entire block- all except her- and then passed out. She desperately hoped three things:

That he hadn't died-

-that he hadn't just murdered innocent citizens-

-and that he'd destroyed all of their attackers.

She was just barely able to drag him along by using every ounce of supernatural strength her mostly fallen constitution awarded her- whatever he'd done to release that explosion had left him half-covered in scaly blood-red armor, and it made him _heavy_.

Thunder shattered the dreadful near-silence of the forest, and lightning cracked the sky. Akeno screamed out and nearly dropped Issei as a nearby tree exploded into cinders, showering them both with burning debris. Rain began to pour down, and the poor girl wanted to fall on the ground and cry; could it really get any worse? But, she resolved herself to continue. This nightmare had left her nearly numb and half-delirious from grief and terror, but her mind screamed at her to save the one thing she had left- the boy who'd saved her life.

She desperately prayed her father would show up to save them, but he wasn't responding to any spells or even a normal phone call.

At this point, they were alone.

Or at least, she hoped they were.

Thunder boomed, rattling her very bones, and lightning once more struck far too close for comfort. This time, Akeno did drop Issei. She screamed in terror and dropped to the ground, covering her head in a wild bid to remain safe.

"A-keno."

Akeno nearly jumped out of her skin as Issei croaked her name. She immediately was at his side, kneeling down while he reached up to her.

"Are you...okay?" he just barely managed to say with what little energy he had left, "Are you...hurt?"

His massive expulsion of energy had nearly killed him, too- if the Dragon inside his armor hadn't stopped the full power from being released, it would've obliterated both himself and his friend. Even with that, however, his speech was slurred and his eyes couldn't really focus on anything. He appeared to be majorly shell-shocked, and no small part actually injured.

"Are you really asking _me_ that?! Can you stand?!" Akeno was frantic, trying to look over him and see if he was majorly wounded.

"I'm...fine. Can't...move. But, fine."

" _Keep going! They're around here somewhere!"_

Akeno's eyes went wide in fear as they heard a Himejima clansman shout from not too far away. Issei pulled her down into the dirt with him, and covered them both with a bush as he tried to wrest away the strange armor that had covered him. It refused to come off, and pulling it hurt like he was trying to pull off his own skin.

The parts of him that were covered were his right arm, about 40% of his torso, his left leg and pelvis, and the right side of his face. The armor on his face was especially life-like, and seemed to move with his mouth when talked. It was almost like his skin had turned into plate mail, rather than simply being covered by it. The parts nearest the armor looked badly burned, and his veins seemed to run bright crimson.

"Issei, what happened to you…" Akeno mumbled breathlessly as she took a closer look at him.

"Shh. They're...coming."

They were both underneath some brush, and with the low visibility of the storm shielding them as well they were surely out of sight.

Until lightning struck a tree just in front of them, and Akeno screamed.

" _Did you hear that? They're close!"_

"Akeno...stay down." Issei began to try and stand as the clansmen got closer, apparently aiming to fight. He struggled with even trying to pull himself to his feet, and it was obvious he wouldn't be able to throw a single punch. In just a couple seconds, he fell back onto the ground.

Akeno watched on in fear. The clansmen drew nearer with every second, and neither of them could do anything about it.

They'd already killed her mother, and his parents.

What more were two kids?

She cursed her father's name. Where was he? He should've been here, protecting her and Shuri, not leaving it to Issei like some kind of pathetic deadbeat.

She cursed the storm. Why did it have to be _lightning_ of all things? Had she somehow earned the ire of the Gods themselves, too?

Most of all- she cursed her blood. This- this nightmare- none of it would've happened if she wasn't some disgusting Fallen-Human crossbreed, she told herself.

Akeno laid her head on the ground and began to quietly sob.

It felt like an eternity, waiting to either be struck by lightning or killed by a cultist. Every time thunder rolled , Akeno wanted to scream. Her ears rang, static charge filled the air, and every bone in her body was roaring for her to run- but there was nowhere to go.

This was the end. They were going to die, because she was a monster.

" _There you are."_

And with that final acceptance of her fate, the clansmen stepped into view. There were three, all cloaked in black ceremonial robes and carrying bladed weapons. They looked directly at the two, grinning.

"You really did a number on our guys back there, kiddo. Time to pay."

The closest clansman began to unsheathe his sword, only to suddenly stop. The rain appeared to stop in a single instant, and a kind of peaceful hum settled in around the area. The three attackers all looked around in eerie discomfort.

There was a flash of gold, and without even a moment to think about their actions, three heads toppled to the ground.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry I wasn't fast enough. Please darlings, come out of there. You're safe now."

In front of the pair was a woman in a white and red priestess robe with two fox ears and nine fluffy tails, crouching down and holding her arms out to receive them.

"I am Yasaka of the Yokai, and I'm here to save you both."

* * *

 _ **Several years later**_

* * *

Akeno was ecstatic. She was practically _dancing_ around their kitchen, humming and spinning and laughing- Issei watched with an inquisitive look on his face, unsure why she was so happy. She was only cooking dinner, but it looked more like she'd discovered the secret to life itself.

When Issei had made his unorthodox confession, Akeno had wanted _so badly_ to react. To do anything; to open her eyes, to say "oh my God, you love me too?" She'd even had the impulse to just turn her head and kiss him outright. But, no. She'd done nothing, all for one purpose- messing with him. Now that she knew for sure he loved her the way she loved him, she had a bit of a blanket to fall on, per se- she could be as oblivious as she wanted, and she'd always be safe in the knowledge that he was smitten with her anyway.

She always was a bit of a tease, after all- and this was just too good to pass up. She thought of it as a punishment for Issei not telling her his feelings sooner, or in the _right_ way.

Conversely, Issei was more than a bit confused. Ever since she'd woken up from the little midday nap, she had been absolutely elated, and he had no idea why. Not that it bothered him, of course- he'd rather see her happy than sad any day, but it made him feel a little on edge that she was so joyous and wouldn't tell him why. In fact, it made him just a little wary that she might not be happy at all.

"Akeno…"

"Yes, Issei~?"

"...are you mad at me or something?"

So he was treading lightly.

"Nope~!" Akeno answered in a sing-song voice, not looking at him. She twirled as she moved, sending her frilly white apron into a spiral around her pink and black house-sweater. She was in black socks and red flannel pajama pants, dressed for being lazy, as was the custom around the Hyoudou household when nothing was going on.

' _She's not mad...'_ Issei thought, inwardly repeating the events of the day and trying to figure out what he'd done to make her act so strangely. Nothing came to mind except his confession, which he couldn't quite bring himself to regret- it was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, even though she hadn't heard him.

...Right?

A scary thought flashed in his mind for probably the tenth time that day. What if she _had_ heard him? Is that why she was acting so odd? Surely not. It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility, he supposed, and it certainly wouldn't be out of character for Akeno to tease him, not to mention when she'd kissed him on the cheek the other night...

His face flushed red.

But still, there's no _way_ she'd heard it, right? Akeno was a ridiculously heavy sleeper most of the time, so that wouldn't wake her up by itself-

"Issei, you look like you've seen a ghost."

The poor kid practically jumped to attention, tearing himself out of his thoughts. Akeno was standing over the stove while a pot boiled away, a delectable smell coming from that direction.

"Akeno."

"Hm~?"

Akeno answered Issei with a delighted tone, trying to hide a giggle.

"Did you hear anything weird-"

He was cut off by their doorbell ringing unexpectedly. Neither of them had sensed anyone approach, which meant it was someone more powerful than either of them. He tensed up, and Akeno stepped back further into the kitchen, losing her grin. Both of them readied for anything as Issei moved towards the door.

He cautiously put his hand on the door, ready to launch an attack at a moment's notice- he didn't really think anyone would be so bold as to attack the Red Dragon at his house, but if there was anything they'd learned since childhood it was that you can never be too careful.

He slowly opened the door, and when he saw who was on the other side, he deflated.

"Lady Yasaka. Hi."

Issei opened the door wide, and through it stepped Fox Queen of the Yokai, Yasaka. Akeno sighed in relief, coming to greet the queen.

"Issei, darling, it's good to see you. Akeno, sweetie, you too." Yasaka hugged both of them in turn with a smile on her face.

Here's the thing about Yasaka- before she was a Queen, she was a mother. Several years before, when she found two kids nearly dead and without anywhere to call home, she'd taken it upon herself to become a surrogate mother to them.

"Hello, Lady Yasaka. I was just cooking dinner, if you want to come join us?" Akeno suggested.

They both called her Lady out of courtesy, but in reality she was far closer to a parent or aunt than anything to the two of them.

"I'd love to."

Yasaka was wearing a normal human outfit- a yellow and black kimono- and had her ears and tails hidden via magic, but once she stepped inside and they closed the door behind her, she extinguished any such illusions and let herself be seen freely. Nine lush golden foxtails spread out behind her, and her ears flipped up on top of her head.

"Oh, kids! It's been too long!" Once she was finally _entirely_ out of view of anyone else, she completely changed personalities. All of her tails wagged excitedly as she hugged the two of them at once, both teens laughing.

After she finally let them go, Issei chuckled sheepishly. "It's only been a couple months."

"A couple months too long! Kunou and I have been so worried about the two of you!"

Yasaka was also a bit of a clingy 'mom'. Once she was out of the public eye, she was free to act as adoring to her 'kids' as she wanted to- which is to say, very.

"Is she here with you?" Akeno asked, moving back towards the kitchen to resume working on dinner.

"Oh, no. She had something to work on and couldn't come, but she asked that I pass this on to her big brother Issei-" Yasaka handed a sealed envelope to Issei, "-and this on to her big sister Akeno," and another to the girl. Both of them took their envelopes, sharing an odd glance as they each opened theirs.

Issei was first, and he held his letter up to look at it while Akeno finished opening hers.

" _Dear Big Brother Issei,_

 _Confess to her already, coward!_

 _Sincerely, your loving little sister Kunou."_

Issei nearly choked. ' _She's too smart…'_

Akeno had just finished hers, and so she too held her letter up to read.

" _Dear Big Sis Akeno,_

 _Confess to him already, coward!_

 _Sincerely, your loving little sister Kunou._

 _PS: Mom says she'll help you with a wedding dress."_

Akeno giggled, reflecting for the millionth time on Issei's half-assed confession. ' _Sorry, Kunou, but you'll have to wait a little bit longer.'_ She put the letter back in the envelope and slid it on the counter, and watched Issei try to subtly put his in his pocket without her seeing- it didn't work.

"So what did she have to say?" Yasaka asked, with a small feeling she already knew.

"She was offering me some encouragement," Akeno answered confidently, smiling wide.

"She uh...same here." Issei wouldn't look anyone in the eye. ' _Am I really that easy to read, Kunou?!'_

Yasaka's tails stood up and she got a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh, I see. Hey, Issei, you look tired. Go wash up while Akeno and I finish dinner."

"Uh, alright." With that odd request, Issei took off to the bathroom.

Once he was out of earshot, Yasaka was at Akeno's side in an instant.

"Okay, spill. How is it between you two?"

"Pretty great, actually. Looks like I don't even need Kunou's tips."

"Really? Do tell."

"You'll never guess...Issei confessed!" Akeno struggled to keep her voice calm.

Yasaka's mouth hung open in uncharacteristic surprise.

Issei and Akeno had lived with Yasaka and Kunou since the day their parents had died up until they started highschool- that is to say, several years- and both Kunou and Yasaka (and everyone with a brain) had always known that the two had major crushes on each other. They constantly pushed the pair to confess to one another, but they never would- until now, apparently.

"So...are you together?" Yasaka's tails wagged just a little, hopeful for a yes.

"Not yet. Guess how he confessed?"

The poor fox deflated. She knew the answer wasn't going to be something good. "In a romantic way?"

"While I was asleep on the couch. He thinks I didn't hear him."

Yasaka's tails fell flat. She wanted to facepalm. Why did these two always have to make it so _difficult?_

"Akeno, honey, can I give you some honest advice?"

"Sure…?"

"You might as well come clean, because that's likely to be as much as you get from him. He's kind of a scaredy-lizard when it comes to you, I'm afraid."

"Oh, I will eventually. But for now, I'm gonna get him back for confessing in such a lame way."

Yasaka sighed. This wasn't likely to end well, that much she knew. She'd been alive for a pretty long time, and never once during that life had she seen such a silly couple.

"Ok, well, let's just work on dinner for now while I think about all the ways that can go wrong. Also, Issei's listening around the corner."

The culprit sheepishly stumbled out from his "hiding" spot. He'd forgotten who he was trying to eavesdrop on- of course the Fox Queen would be able to hear him trying to be covert.

"It's not good to be an eavesdropper, darling," Yaska said, waggling a finger and chastising him. Akeno giggled, amused at Issei's attempt to hear their gossip.

"You put up a spell, didn't you? I didn't even hear a word," He replied, walking into the kitchen.

Yasaka conjured up an apron to wear while she began to help with the food. Well, really it would be more accurate to say _Akeno_ began to help with the food, as while she was a pretty good cook, Yasaka could be called the Heavenly King of the Kitchen- it was her who'd taught Akeno in the first place. The Fox Queen essentially commandeered the cooking, not that anyone was complaining.

"I may have~. Listening in on a conversation between two ladies is hardly proper behavior, after all. I taught you better," Yasaka said playfully, summoning a spoon to thwack him on the back of the head without even turning to look.

"Ow…"

"So how are the two of you doing in school? I'm not entirely versed in how human school works, but you're starting your last year, right Akeno?"

"Mhmm. It's exciting."

"I bet. And Issei's as far behind as ever, I assume?"

"Is today national 'bully dragons' day?" Issei hung his head, having been made the butt of all the jokes yet again. It was all in good fun, of course.

"Honey, I'm a fox. Every day is 'bully dragons' day. But jokes aside, you must be making decent grades at least, right? I know Akeno tutors you."

"Hey, don't doubt my grades from the start! We just started this year, they're fine."

Both Yasaka and Akeno deadpanned, staring at him until he cracked.

He turned away, rubbing his head. "They're...passing."

"That sounds more like it," Yasaka said, turning back to the food.

"So what brings you to Kuoh, anyway? Not that I'm complaining, I just didn't think you could leave Kyoto for long," Issei asked, wondering to what they owed the occasion.

"Well, for one, I had to see my children. And secondly, there's some pretty important things going on in this town I needed to let you both know."

With that, they both perked up, but the Queen just waggled a finger. "Not yet. We'll talk after dinner. Speaking which, it's just about done. Great work, Akeno! Issei, help me set the table, would you…?"

* * *

"Fallen Angels? In Kuoh Town?" Issei asked incredulously, slowly putting down his silverware.

"Indeed. This group in particular was working directly under Azazel, Governor General of the Fallen, in a rather harmless effort to keep an eye on potential Sacred Gear users, until recently. He hasn't heard from them, and believes they may have begun working under Kokabiel."

The Fox Queen had switched entirely to her diplomat personality.

"Kokabiel?"

"Never heard of him."

Akeno and Issei shared a glance- neither of them had ever heard the name. The only high profile Fallen they knew of were Azazel and...Baraqiel.

"He's a defector, trying to instigate war between the three Biblical factions. Honestly, since the two of you are technically in the Yokai faction and Kuoh is the Red Dragon's territory, those angels may steer clear, but...stay on guard anyway. From what Azazel said, they're low-level Fallen but they specialize in sneak attacks and ambushes, and with this town being home of both some important devils and several sacred gear users, there may be an incident."

"I'll keep both eyes peeled," Issei promised, summoning his Gauntlet in a show of power.

Yasaka nodded, but still looked a little worried.

Akeno's eyes were downcast. Fallen Angels, causing problems again? She wasn't surprised.

Issei and Yasaka both noticed her expression, but neither said anything.

What _could_ they say?

"Well, this has been lovely, but I do have to get going. As much as I love seeing you both, my only excuse for being out of Kyoto this long was warning you about the Fallen." Yaska stood up and waved one hand, and all the dishes began to clean and sort themselves, saving the pair some work. They both stood up after her, and all three walked towards the door.

"Come visit us in Kyoto sometime, will you? Kunou misses you both." She hugged them both at once, then stood back and composed herself. Her tails disappeared, her ears folded down into hair, and she shifted back into her dignified and respectable Queen persona.

"Bye, Auntie."

"Bye. We'll come by sometime," Akeno promised, smiling.

"I look forward to it. Be good, and be careful. Issei, no matter how strong you are, even the Red Dragon can be felled by Fallen if you slip up. _Even a Kappa can drown._ Akeno, do keep an eye on him."

With one final bow, Yasaka slipped out of the door. They waved her off, and closed it behind her.

* * *

 _ **Later that day, nighttime**_

* * *

"And then you just use the quadratic formula to-"

"Argh!"

Issei was sitting at a desk, head in his hands, tearing at his hair. Akeno was standing just behind him, leaning over his left shoulder while she helped him with his math work.

He was beginning to get a _little_ frustrated.

Akeno was as patient as ever, of course. He marveled at how smart she was.

And how damp her hair was from the shower.

And how _close_ she was…

Was that perfume?

"Something wrong?"

"Uh, no! Just tired of math…"

Akeno giggled, then moved just a _little_ bit closer to him. Her chest was pressing on his back, and somehow his mind wasn't really on the math work anymore.

"It's not that bad. Come on, we'll work through it together."

Issei, trying his best to focus on the assignment, inhaled deeply and looked back down over it.

Inwardly, Akeno was jumping for joy. It was so _easy_ to tease him! She could tell his mind was nowhere even close to being on math right now, and it was so _cute_ when he got flustered.

"Okay, so quadratic formula...right, and that was…?"

"X equals negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus four times a times c. All of that divided by two times a, and you're done."

"You lost me at X."

Akeno laughed. It may seem like Issei wasn't really trying, but she knew he was, and if there was one thing she didn't mind it was helping him- sarcasm included.

But, even she was just a _bit_ tired of math.

"Hey, is it just a bit hot in here, or is it just me?"

Akeno stepped back just a bit and stretched her arms up towards the ceiling, standing on her toes and puffing out her chest while she exhaled in exertion.

Issei tried his best not to stare slack-jawed.

The poor boy had known Akeno for a long time, and whether it was because of her being a Fallen Angel or just being lucky, she had always been ridiculously well-endowed; and whether Issei was born that way or if it was just because he'd always been around her, he was one hundred percent a boob man.

That is to say, when she stretched like that- he couldn't _help_ but get hypnotized.

And she _knew it._

Akeno wiped some lingering moisture from the shower off her brow and tossed her hair back over her right shoulder, then pulled her low-cut navy blue t-shirt forward just a bit so she could breathe better.

Or, to put on a better show- who knows?

"Okay, let's try again." She leaned down again, and this time, Issei really couldn't pay attention, no matter how hard he tried. Her shirt hung even _lower_ , and he tried his _best_ to ignore the fact that she didn't generally wear a bra around the house.

"R-right, let's try again-"

A bright flash illuminated the room, and thunder quaked the ground.

In less than a second, Akeno's mind went blank.

She was back in the forest, dragging Issei's near-lifeless body while a storm threatened to kill them both and cultists promised the same. Rain poured down over her and wind whipped her eyes.

Back in the real world, she clutched at Issei's arm as she fell to her knees, screaming his name out loud.

"Akeno!" As fast as he could, Issei picked her up and wrapped her in his arms, enveloping her body with his while he willed the dragon inside him to heat up his skin. She shook like a leaf and grasped around wildly, looking this way and that, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Hey, I'm here, I'm here. There's no one here to hurt you. It's just you and me, we're in our house, we're safe. The storm can't touch us, and I'm safe. I'm here."

Issei cradled her head, covering her ears in anticipation of the next lightning strike. He silently cursed the weather app on his phone- "no chance for rain," it had said.

Akeno, the girl who was easily able to use lightning magic and whose father was the most talented lightning wielder in all of the Underworld…

...and of all things, _thunder_ was the worst trigger for her PTSD by far.

Calming down just enough to think, she sat still and wide-eyed in Issei's lap, staring up at him and wrapping herself all the way around his left arm, almost as if to prevent him from escaping her grip.

"Issei?" she asked, like she didn't believe it was him.

"It's me. I'm here. I'm gonna lift you, okay?"

"Okay…"

Issei stood up with her in a princess carry, holding her tight to his chest, while he went into the living room. He bent down in front of their coffee table, still holding her tightly, and retrieved a noise-cancelling bluetooth headset from a drawer in the side of the table. Once he had it in-head, he went back to his bedroom, and sat down on his bed with her still in his arms. He gingerly placed them on her head and switched them on, immediately filling her ears with the sweet sound of silence.

After the short amount of time it took for Issei to connect his phone, soft and soothing music began to pierce the haze she was in, and she slowly but surely came back to reality. Lightning struck once more, but it was quite a bit farther away, and between that and the headphones, Akeno didn't hear a thing.

Issei still cradled her in his arms, his skin warm to the touch, while she re-adjusted. As she began to realize what exactly had happened, tears formed at the corners of her eyes, and he was quick to wipe them away.

Had this been several years ago, she would've apologized. He would've responded by telling her to never apologize again, to which she'd apologize once more.

But now, when they'd been doing this same song and dance for quite some time- nothing needed to be said. They both knew the other well enough to know exactly what they were thinking.

Issei knew she was apologetic, and hated herself for being so vulnerable.

Akeno knew he'd comfort her anyway, and wanted nothing more than to be there for her when she needed him. She knew he didn't expect her to apologize, because it wasn't her fault. So, she didn't. As much as she wanted to.

After another tense moment, Akeno leaned further into his chest, the mental toll of her panic attack having drained her of all energy. She was now exhausted, and even with big headphones on, he made such a good pillow.

Sensing how she felt, Issei pulled his feet up on the bed, moving himself into a sleeping position. Akeno did the same, pulling herself face-forward into his chest while he wrapped her tighter in his arms. There was nothing in the world that could comfort her quite like him surrounding her, and with him so close, she could sleep even during a storm like this.

And so she did, with Issei quick to follow.

* * *

 **Oh yeah, big reveal. Akeno, Priestess of Thunder, is afraid of thunder. I'm sure some of you will love that, some of you will hate it, just like always. Obviously, leave reviews and suggestions and such if you want to see this story continued, and if you want to talk to me personally, consider joining my discord server. If you wanna talk, ask questions, make suggestions, just say hi- whatever floats your boat.**

 **Here's the link:**

 **discord .gg / dmUb2Pw**

 **Just copy that and delete the spaces, then paste it into discord or your browser, and join away. Easy Peasy.**

 **Anyway, I dunno when I'll be updating next, should be soon-ish. Till then, don't forget to leave nice long reviews, and as always, I'll see you next mission.**


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